Regulating device



9, 1941. J. HEINRICH 2,265,282

'REGULATING DEVICE Filed June 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Egg. 1.

INVENTOR JOHANN HEINRICH ATTORNEYS 1941- J. HEINRICH 2, ,282

REGULATING DEVICE Filed June 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Egg. 2.

N 11]! O 1F y y 1 f L 9 /7 24 3 5 /5 I 7 \SEQIIIIIIIIIIIA f l Illflflflfl H a; I 1 4 l I I l I INVENTOR JoHA NN HE/NR/ H ATTORNEYSPatented Dec. 9, 1941 REGULATING DEVICE Johann Heinrich, Berlin-Tegel,Germany, as-

signor,

und Metallwaren-Handelsgesellschait m.

by mesne assignments, to Maschinen- Berlin, Germany, a limited-liabilitycompany of Germany Application June 29, 1938, Serial No. 216,489 InGermany February 13, 1937 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a regulating device for refrigeration plantsand refers more particularly to means for automatically regulating theamount or liquid in evaporators of refrigeration plants.

An object or the present invention is the provision of an automaticregulating device of this type which is solid and dependable inoperation and'which will not jam or get out of commission due to thepressure of the cooling medium.

Another object is the provision of an automatic regulating device forrefrigeration plants, the movable parts of which can easilyovercome thefriction resulting from the pressure of the cooling medium.

' Other objects of the present invention will be apparent in the courseof the following speciiication.

The objects of the present invention may be realized through theprovision of a flow valve which is included in the conduit supplying theliquid cooling medium to the evaporator, and which is operated by thecompressed gaseous cooling medium depending upon the position of a floatwhich indicates the level of the liquid cooling medium in theevaporator. The flow of the compressed gaseous cooling medium to thevalve is regulated by a pivot which is connected to the float, and whichprovides for the removal or the compressed gaseous cooling medium fromthe valve and the closing of the latter when the liquid cooling mediumin the evaporator has reached a desired level.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detaileddescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,showing by way of example a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically, partly in section, a regulatingdevice constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view in section, of the float container;

Figure 3 is a section along the line 33 of Figure 2 on a larger scale;and

Figure 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of F ure 2.

Figure 1 shows an evaporator 5 which may be filled with the liquidcooling medium and which carries a container 6. The interior of the Icontainer 6 is connected with that of the evaporator 5, so that thelevel of the liquid in the container 6 depends upon that of theevaporator 5. The container 6 is connected by means of a pipe I with acompressor 8, which is illustrated diagrammaticall in the drawings.

A pipe 9 is connected to the lower portion of the container 6 and leadsto another container Ill which serves as a casing for the float ll. Dueto the provision of the pipe 9, the level of the liquid cooling mediumin the container II) depends upon that in the container 6 and theevaporator 5.

The container I0 is illustrated in greater dc tail in Figures 2 and 3 ofthe drawings. This container comprises a casing, which encloses thefloat I I and which is connected by the bolts l3 to the portion l4serving as a support or hearing for the steering pivot or pin l5. Theend I8 of the pivot I5 is rotatably mounted in a support I9, which isconnected by the bolts 20 to the portion in of the container Hi. The armI! of the float I0 is provided with a rectangular opening into which therectangular portion ii of the pivot I5 is fitted, so that when the floatH moves up and down following the level of the liquid in the containerill, the pivot l5 will rotate within its support M.

The pivot 15 is provided with a groove 2| which extends in the directionof the pivotal axis. The pivot I5 is also provided with a bore-hole 22extending through the pivot at right angles to its axis andcommunicating with the passage or groove 23 which leads to the chambers24 and 25 formed within the portions I4 and l2 0! the container ID.

The portion Id of the container in is provided with two openings 26 and21, which are so located that they are interconnected by the groove 2!when the pivot I5 is turned by the lowering of the float ll, caused bythe dropping of the level of the liquid within the container It.

The opening 26 is in communication with a pipe 28 which leads to thevalve 38. This valve comprises a cylinder 29 and a piston 30 which isreciprocable within the cylinder 29 and which is engaged by a spring 3|.The piston 30 is connected by a piston rod 32 with a valve body 33.adopted to close the passage 34, which inter connects two passages 35and 38 provided in the valve casing 31. The spring 3| tends to maintainthe valve body 33 in the closed position.

The device 38 is a flow valve which is included in the conduit 39connecting the condenser 40 with the container 6.

The opening 21 provided in the portion ll of the casing in is connectedto a pipe or concooling medium in the evaporator 5, the level of theliquid in the containers 3 and I8 is substantially high. so thatthe'rod-ll oi the ,float II which follows the level of the. liquid, willex'-' tend substantially horizontally. In that position, the groove 2|of the pivot I 5 is situated below the openings 26 and 21. so that thereis no communication between these openings or between the pipes ll and28.

When the amount of the liquid in the evaporator 5 is diminished, thefloat II will gradually move downwards, thereby turning the rod l1 andthe pivot l5. Due to this turning of the pivot l5, the groove 2| willmove gradually upwards and at a time when the level of the liquid is atits lowest, it is situated opposite the openings 26 and 21, so that itinterconnects these openings.

Then the compressed gaseous cooling medium in the compressor 8 will,-flow through the pipe ll into the opening 21 provided in the portion Hof the casing 10. Thence. the compressed gas will flow through thegroove 2| and the opening 26 reaching the pipe 28 which is connectedwith the opening 26. The' compressed cooling medium will flow throughthe pipe 28 into the interior of the cylinder 29 of the valve 38 andwill exert a pressure upon the piston 30 moving this piston downwardagainst the action of the spring 3|.

Since the piston 33 is connected*by the piston rod 32 with the valvebody 33, this movement of the piston 30 and of the valve body 33connected therewith will free the passage 34 so that a connection willbe established between the passages 35 and 36 provided inthe valvecasing 31. Since the passages 35 and 36 constitute a part of the conduit33 connecting the condenser 48 with the container 6, the movement of thevalve body 33 will establish a connection between the condenser 40 andthe evaporator 5, with the re suit that the liquid cooling medium willflow from the condenser 40 to the evaporator 5.

' Thus the levelof theliquid in the evaporator 5 will be raised so thatthe float II will gradually move upward. At the same time, the groove 2|will move downwards due to the rotation of the pivot I5 until theconnection between the openings 26 and 21 is interrupted again.

The compressed gaseous cooling medium sit-.

uated in the cylinder 23 will leave the cylinder through the pipe 28,the opening 26 in the casing in, and the passages 22 and 23 formed inthe pivot ID. The valve 38 will be closed again and the connectionbetween the evaporator 5 and the condenser 40 will be interrupted.

The cooling medium evaporated or situated in the chambers 24 and 25 ofthe container Ill may leave these chambers through a pipe 42 whichconnects the container ill with the upper portion of the container 6.

The valve 38 is preferably provided with a spindle 43 which is used formanually interrupting the connection between the condenser 40 and thecontainer 6 in case of repairs.

The regulation of the lever of the liquid in the e aporator is carriedout in a simple and effective manner by means of the describedconstruction and the size of the steering pivot may be comparativelysmall due to the fact that no large passages are required for thecompressed gas, so that no difllculties are likely to arise in theoperation.

structures above described are subject to wide variation andmodification without departing from the scope or intentof the invention,all of which variations and modifications are to be included within thescope of the present invention.

What is claimedis:

1. In cooling plants, in combination with an evaporator, a compressorconnected with said evaporator, and a condenser; a conduit for supplyingthe liquid cooling medium from said condenser to said evaporator, saidconduit including a flow valve, a casing connected with said evaporator,a float within said casing, a steering pivot operatively connected withsaid float and supported by said casing, said steering pivot having agroove formed therein for interconnecting two openings formed in saidcasing, a conduit providing a communication between one of said twoopenings and the interior of said compressor,

means actuating said valve, and another conduit providing acommunication between the other one of said openings and thevalve-actuating means.

2. In refrigeration plants, in combination, an

' ing a flow valve, a float actuated by the level of the liquid in theevaporator, a steering pivot firmly connected with said float, saidpivot having a groove formed therein, a casing connected with saidevaporator and carrying said pivot, said casing having two openingsformed therein, said openings being interconnected by said groove in apredetermined position of said float, means connecting one of saidopenings with said compressor ,to supply compressed'gaseous coolingmediumfrom said compressor to that opening, means actuating said valve,and means providing a communication between the other oneof saidopenings and the valve-actuating means to cause said a compressedgaseous jcooling medium to operate said valve-actuating means in saidposition of 3. In refrigeration plants, in combination, an evaporator, acompressor connected with said evaporator, a conduit for supplying theliquid cooling medium to said evaporator and comprising a flow valve, afloat actuated by the level of the liquid in the evaporator, a steeringpivot firmly connected with said float, said pivot having a grooveformed therein, a casing connected with said evaporator and carryingsaid pivot, said casinghaving two openings formed therein, said openingsbeing interconnected by said groove in a predetermined position of saidfloat, means connecting one of said openings with said compressor tosupply compressed gaseous cooling medium from said compressor to thatopening, means actuating said valve, and means providing a communicationbetween the other one of said openings and the valve-actuating means tocause said compressed gaseous cooling medium to operate saidvalve-actuating means in said position of the float, said pivot having apassage formed.

for removing the compressed gaseous cooling medium from said valve.

J OHANN HEINRICH.

